b. Eire. Songwriter Thom Moore has combined several peripatetic careers alongside his musical development, which includes spells in both Pumpkinhead and Midnight Well. He spent time in Africa, the Middle East and US Navy before his degree in Slavonic languages took him to teaching positions in California during the 80s and Russia in the 90s. These travels and studies have fuelled a deep respect for the musical traditions of several countries and continents, all of which have been entwined in his songwriting and lyrics. In 1977 he worked on Midnight Well’s self-titled debut album, considered by many to be the first Irish experiment in world music, with guests including Donal Lunny, Shaun Davey and Ciaran Brennan. Afterwards Moore’s songs were used by a variety of artists, including Mary Black and Maura O’Connell. His first solo album, Dreamer In Russia, was made in a single day and was the result of his post as Interpreter-Inspector with the INF Permanent Monitoring Site in Votlinski, at which time he split his time between bases in Russia and Ireland. A second solo album followed in 1994, Gorgeous And Bright, with contributions from Brian Kennedy, Mary Black, Cormac Breatnach and Dave Earlie. His highly distinctive and unusual approach to traditional music has produced a canon of songs much admired in Ireland, particularly ‘Carolina Rua’, a song also recorded by Mary Black.